Holder for can or bottle of beer or other beverage container

ABSTRACT

A device for holding beer cans and the like while drinking from the open top comprises a saucer-like support, spring arms extending up from the support with their lower ends offset radially outwardly relative to their upper ends, and with an outwardly curving handle extending upwardly from the support, the spring arms having fastening extensions preventing lateral swinging movement.

O United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,844,460

Courtright Oct. 29, 1974 [54] HOLDER FOR CAN 0R BOTTLE OF BEER 2,464,069 3/1949 Benson 224/45 R O OTHER BEVERAGE CONTAINER 3,491,976 1/1970 Larson 215/101 [76] Inventor: Amedee H. Courtright, 131 Geddes OREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Waterbury, Conn- 06708 571,553 3/1924 France 215/100 A [22] Filed: Jan. 4, 1973 P E R b G Sh d rimary xaminer 0 ert IBII an [2H 321,002 Assistant Examiner-Kenneth Noland Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John W. I-Ioag [52] US. Cl. 224/45 C, 224/45 W, 215/100 A, [51] I t Cl 865 11 2 5581 [57] ABSTRACT It [58] Field of Search.... 224/45 R, 45 A, 45 c, 45 G, hldmg beer cans E "3 224/45 L, 45 N, 45 P, 45 W, 45 Q, 48 A; drmkmg from the open top compnses a saucer-like 294/32 215/100 A 101 support, spring arms extendmg up from the support with their lower ends offset radially outwardly relative [56] References Cited to their upper ends, and with an outwardly curving handle extending upwardly from the support, the 378 361 :TATES PATENTS spring arms having fastening extensions preventing lat ox 2l5/l0l 1 t 1,377,350 5/1921 Hoskin.... 294/33 era Swmgmg movemen 2,075,217 3/1937 Milburn 215/100 A 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures .l 25' I Fig J if 34 HOLDER FOR CAN R BOTTLE 01F BEER U OTHER BEVERAGE CONTAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a holder particularly for beer cans having snap off tabs and also for bottles of beer and other beverages, whereby a person can grasp the handle of the holder instead of the can or bottle while drinking directly from the can or bottle. The holder is particularly useful in connection with beer cans and other beverage containers which are widened at their lower ends, by a bead or otherwise, so that their outside diameter at the lower end is greater than the outside diameter intermediate the ends.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The holder comprises a saucer or shallow cup, bottle or can supporting member with a curved handle extending upwardly and outwardly from the support portion, and a plurality, preferably four, spring arms extending up from the support portion. The spring arms are the upwardly extending portions of resilient members which also extend over, and are secured to the upper surface of the support. The resilient members are bent so the portions which overlie the upper surface of the support are normal to the spring arm portions which extend up from the support just outside the upwardly extending flange of the support. The portions which overlie the base are each further bent to define a laterally extending portion which also overlies, and is fastened to, the base and holds the spring arm from swinging movement along the rim of the support. The latter feature is particularly important when the resilient members are formed from round wire which might otherwise tend to rotate under its fastening means on the top surface of the support. A pair of spring arms may be formed from a single resilient member and be connected at their lower ends by a common portion which overlies, and is fastened on the upper surface of the support. A disc shaped portion of liquid absorbing material such as sponge rubber may be provided on the support surface over the portions of the resilient members which overlie the support surface.

A second disc of material preferably liquid absorbing and non-skidding may be secured on the lower face of the support.

Each spring arm is formed with a loop intermediate its ends and desireably adjacent the top of the rim of the support portion. The loop is proportioned so that lower portion of each spring arm is offset outwardly relative to the upper portion of the spring arm and this is an important part of the invention as it enables the full length of the upper portions of the spring arms to press against the sides of a can or bottle inserted between the tops of the spring arms and pressed down onto the support, and not be sprung apart by a bead or other wider portion of a can or bottle which characterizes many beer cans and bottles and other beverage containers. The outwardly offset lower portions of the spring arms provide additional space between the arms diametrically of the support thus compensating for the larger diameter of a can or bottle adjacent its base and without cocking the upper portions of the spring arms.

The loops intermediate the ends of the spring arms respectively also provide the spring arms with greater strength and rigidity.

Preferably the upper end of each spring arm is also bent outwardly into a loop without interfering with the straight smooth faces the upper portion of the spring arms present to a can or bottle being inserted between them. The loops at the upper ends of the spring arm provide inwardly curving surfaces which aid in directing a can or bottle between the spring arms thus removing the danger of an exposed wire end.

The invention will be best understood by reading the following description in connection with the drawings in which,

FIG. l is a top plan view,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. l but showing a modified way of anchoring the spring arm against rotary movement and,

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION A saucer-like can or bottle supporting member 10 has the handle 14 curving upwardly and outwardly from the rim 12 of member 10. Extending up from i member 10 preferably from just inside the rim 12 are the spring arms 16. As illustrated spring arms 16 are the bent up end portions of resilient members 18 preferably round wire members, the intermediate portions 20 of which are fastened to the upper surface of member 10. The intermediate portions 20 include laterally extending portions 22 disposed at right angles both with respect to the spring arms 16 and the main part of the intermediate portions 20 and lying in the same plane as the main part of portions 20. These lateral extensions are important as they prevent rotation of the spring arms 16 around their axes which might otherwise occur and which would result in swinging movement of the arms in planes tangential to the upright rim 12 of member 10 and away from upright positions in which the arms extend upwardly in substantially parallel relation.

The distance between the lower portions 25 of opposed spring arms 16 is therefore greater than the dis tance between their upper portions 23 and this is important since it provides space between the spring arms to receive cans or bottles which have beads around their lower ends or otherwise of increased diameter adjacent their lower ends. Without the offset formation of the lower ends of the spring arms the arms would be sprung outwardly by the enlarged lower end of a can or bottle inserted between the arms preventing the full length contact of the upper portions of the spring arms along the sides of the can or bottle.

The upper ends of the spring arms 16 are also bent outward into loops 30 which serve both to provide the arms with curved outer ends respectively instead of dangerous straight wire ends, and also define inwardly sloping means which aid in centering a can or bottle and guiding it between the spring arms as it is pushed down onto support member 10.

The anchoring extensions of the spring arms which lie on the top of member 10 are covered by a pad 32 made of soft and preferably liquid absorbing material such as sponge rubber. A pad 34 is also shown attached to the lower surface of member 10 and servers to prevent member 10 from scratching, or sliding on, a surface on which the holder may be set down.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 a modification of member 10 is shown in which member 10 is formed in plastic, the upper surface of member 10 being grooved with the diametrically extending cross grooves 40 and 42. In this embodiment the intermediate portions of resilient members 18 may be straight since the end portions forming the spring arms 16 will be held against rotation by the side walls of grooves 40 and 42 respectively.

What I claim is:

1. A device by which a person may hold a beer can or bottle of other beverage container while drinking out of its open top, which comprises,

a support member having an upwardly extending peripheral rim,

a handle curving upwardly and outwardly from the support member, and

a plurality of spring arms extending upwardly from the support member and spaced from one another around the rim of the support member,

each spring arm being offset outwardly adjacent its lower end and each spring arm intermediate its ends defining a loop and the portion of the spring arm below the loop being offset outwardly with respect to the portion of the spring arm above the loop. 

1. A device by which a person may hold a beer can or bottle of other beverage container while drinking out of its open top, which comprises, a support member having an upwardly extending peripheral rim, a handle curving upwardly and outwardly from the support member, and a plurality of spring arms extending upwardly from the support member and spaced from one another around the rim of the support member, each spring arm being offset outwardly adjacent its lower end and each spring arm intermediate its ends defining a loop and the portion of the spring arm below the loop being offset outwardly with respect to the portion of the spring arm above the loop. 